Thoughts on books, reading and publishing from the staff and friends of the Tattered Cover Book Store.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Books For Kids and Teens

How far would you go for a friend? In Nuts to You, the funny and moving new novel by Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, two squirrels go very far indeed to save a friend who has been snatched up by a hawk.

The squirrels Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and mysteries are revealed. Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking. It is a deeply satisfying piece of storytelling about the power of stories to save the world; about the power of friendship and the importance of community.

This beautiful book is illustrated in black-and-white on every page by the author and includes an introduction, epilogue, and funny footnotes throughout. A terrific read aloud.

"I needed a better name. A stronger name. I wedged my fists on my hips and I announced that Maggie was yesterday, and from this day forward I would answer only to Ford Falcon."

Life outside the Bubble Cities is rough. Electricity is history. The weather can change at a moment's notice. And the world is short on food but full of trouble.

After her family chose to take their chances OutBubble, Maggie decided it was time to grow up and grow tough. Rechristening herself Ford Falcon, she spends her days scavenging in a junkyard near her family's makeshift house, fending off the occasional solar bear attack and keeping her eyes peeled for any GreyDevils that might be lurking around the corner.

Although times are tough, Ford, her parents, and her little brother, Dookie, have been making do. But when Ford comes home from a bartering trip to find the place ransacked and her family missing, she must prove she is brave enough to make it in this wild world alone and face whatever obstacles stand in the way of rescuing her loved ones.

In this Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower tale, narrator Anika Dragomir is the third most popular girl at Pound High School. But inside, she knows she's a freak; she can't stop thinking about former loner Logan McDonough, who showed up on the first day of tenth grade hotter, bolder, and more mysterious than ever. Logan is fascinating, troubled and off-limits. The Pound High queen bee will make Anika's life hell if she's seen with him. So Anika must choose--ignore her feelings and keep her social status? Or follow her heart and risk becoming a pariah. Which will she pick? And what will she think of her choice when an unimaginable tragedy strikes, changing her forever? An absolutely original new voice in YA in a story that will start important conversations--and tear at your heart.